Mr Aniyu said: “We were reloading the recycling metal into containers which will go into China. I was just about to leave and the guys said ‘stop, stop, nobody go anywhere, stay where you are’.

“They said it was a major accident.

“One of the workers said the wall had crashed.

“I saw one guy lying on the floor and paramedics were putting a mask on him and talking to him. They were trying to resuscitate him.

“The police came and told me to leave the truck and escorted me out.”

Emergency services at the scene where five men died after a wall collapsed at a Hawkeswood Metal recycling plant in Aston Church Road, Birmingham. (Image: Richard Vernalls/PA Wire)

The collapse happened at about 8.45am this morning at the plant on Aston Church Road.

Heartlands Hospital confirmed the sixth man had been taken there but declined to comment on his condition.

However, West Midlands Ambulance Service said it had sent two ambulances, a paramedic area support officer, the Midlands Air Ambulance from Cosford, the Hazardous Area Response Team, a senior paramedic officer and an emergency planning office to the scene.

A spokesman said: “A sixth man was partially trapped by the falling concrete but had managed to get out from the rubble himself.

“He was treated at the scene by ambulance staff and the doctor from the air ambulance for a broken leg before he was taken to Heartlands Hospital for further treatment.”